Head-on collision shuts down Wilmington-Lake Placid road (2nd update)

November 29, 2012

LAKE PLACID - A section of state Route 86 between Lake Placid and Wilmington has been shut down as emergency crews respond to a head-on collision.

Ray Brook-based state police confirmed at 4:10 this afternoon that the highway was closed to traffic. Police said the collision occurred near High Falls Gorge.

Lake Placid Middle-High School student Heidi Peters said she was riding the school bus home to Wilmington at about 3 p.m., when the accident reportedly occurred. She said the school bus was stuck in traffic for about 50 minutes.

"It looked serious," Peters said. "You could see scraps of one of the cars stuck to the guardrail."

In Lake Placid, roadblocks have been set up at River Road, Northwood Road and at the intersection of state routes 86 and 73.

Lora Bushey of Wilmington said troopers were turning away traffic at the intersection of Route 86 and Fox Farm Road in Wilmington. She said troopers told her debris was being cleaned up as of about 4:20 p.m.

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The Lake Placid Volunteer Fire Department and state police responded to the scene. It could not be immediately determined how many vehicles were involved.

The National Weather Service's Burlington, Vt., station issued a special weather statement at 4:03 p.m. today alerting motorists that snow will likely lead to slippery conditions this evening in northern New York and Vermont. Accumulations will range from a light coating in lower elevations to as much as 3 inches in higher elevations.

"Temperatures will be falling quickly below freezing," the statement reads. "This can result in a flash freeze on roads and sidewalks, especially if they are untreated."